hosesbroadbill
Well-known member
We had a Ruff and a Bar-tailed Godwit in New York City today. Can you send one of those Ringed Plover over here please.
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New Sigma 150/600 contemporary (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Paul - Herts
- Start date
We had a Ruff and a Bar-tailed Godwit in New York City today. Can you send one of those Ringed Plover over here please.
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
I will see if I can send this one over lol (not taken with the Siggy)
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Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
That was taken with my old Canon 300/2.8 IS MKI + 1.4x tc Len.
the black fox
Well-known member
thats a cracker roy ,can't locate the swallows up here yet
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
Yes Colin, taken with the Sigma 150-600 C at the full 600mm.
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
I had a go in the garden with the sigma 'C' and a 1.4x tc today. Difficult conditions as it was blowing a gail and I was mostly to near for 840mm but results were encouraging enough to try again. Considering it was at f9 (although fools the Camera into thinking it is f8) the AF was superb. BTW they are all very ugly compos but I was only concerned about IQ and detail for this test.
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Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
Is that the Canon tc or the Sigma, Roy?
I tried my Canon MkIII 1.4x with my Sport and the results were poor, mainly because of what I feel is a problem with my tc. Even with my Canon 400 I had to adjust the microfocus on the 7DII to -14 and when I tried it with the Sigma lens, it was still rear-focussing at the maximum -20 adjustment.
I sent an email to Canon asking if there was any adjustment possible to the TC, but they just sent me a brush-off reply saying that the Sigma was a non-compatible lens and suggesting I take the whole kit and kaboodle to my nearest Canon dealer for a look at.
Considering the nearest is 140 miles away, I don't think I'll be doing that. Also, I don't use that particular shop after they gave me an estimate for a repair for a Canon compact of about £180 for a new main board, only for the thing to start working on its own a day or two after I had them return it, once it had dried out some more. It was a waterproof snorkelling camera that had leaked - they clearly hadn't dismantled to to do the estimate and my wife is still using it, but keeping it dry, two years later.
I tried my Canon MkIII 1.4x with my Sport and the results were poor, mainly because of what I feel is a problem with my tc. Even with my Canon 400 I had to adjust the microfocus on the 7DII to -14 and when I tried it with the Sigma lens, it was still rear-focussing at the maximum -20 adjustment.
I sent an email to Canon asking if there was any adjustment possible to the TC, but they just sent me a brush-off reply saying that the Sigma was a non-compatible lens and suggesting I take the whole kit and kaboodle to my nearest Canon dealer for a look at.
Considering the nearest is 140 miles away, I don't think I'll be doing that. Also, I don't use that particular shop after they gave me an estimate for a repair for a Canon compact of about £180 for a new main board, only for the thing to start working on its own a day or two after I had them return it, once it had dried out some more. It was a waterproof snorkelling camera that had leaked - they clearly hadn't dismantled to to do the estimate and my wife is still using it, but keeping it dry, two years later.
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
I used the Canon 1.4x tc MKII and it works brilliantly considering. It could be that the extra electronics in the MKIII converter is causing the trouble with the Siggy. I have not done any AFMA on the combo yet but looking at my results today I would not think that it needs any.
Paul - Herts
Paul Herts
Those shots with the converter are pretty good Roy, a lot better than I expected to see from the Contemporary. Looks like a little bit of movement in the last shot and minimal DOF but hey what can be expected with that sort of magnification
hosesbroadbill
Well-known member
Have to say Roy that the shots with the Sigma that you posted are not in the same league as the shot of the Ringed Plover. And I do not mean the ones with the converter. The sharpness, colors and contrast are way better in that shot. Obviously based on the price they should be, but I think the Sigma shots should be a bit closer than they are. Think that is because of lighting? Distance to subject? Or just way better optics?
Makes me think that maybe I should buy a 300 2.8ii and a converter if there is that big of a difference in quality.
Makes me think that maybe I should buy a 300 2.8ii and a converter if there is that big of a difference in quality.
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
I put that last one in on purpose Paul,the bird was on a feeder which was swaying around like a fast pendulum - I liked the motion blur!
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
It s a combination of all those things. I have always said that these 'cheap' third party zooms are not in the same league as a big canon white prime and nothing has changed my mind on that. BTW that Plover shot was taken with a 1.4x tc on. I had a used Canon 300/2.8 IS mkI which still can be picked up for around £2500 so not a lot more than something like the Canon 100-400 MKII. The 300/2.8 is a world beater at 300mm and you lose hardly anything whatsoever at 420mm. It was OK at 600mm but nothing special. The new 300/2.8 + a 2x tc mkIII is a lot better and a very usable and lightweight combo.
If I was up to carrying it I would have no hesitation in buying a Canon 500/4 or better still a 600/4 for bird shooting.
Just to show you how well a lens like the 300/2.8 takes converters here is a shot taken with stacked 1.4x tc and 2x tc to give 840mm - it is also cropped very heavily. I even had AF on my old 7D when stacking because the Camera only saw the 2x tc. BTW you cannot stack the MkIII canon converters (unless you put an extension tube in between them).
p.s. over the past year I have been very close to buying a 300/2.8 MKII on several occasions but I just do not do enough birding to justify it (still may go there though o
) That last Swallow shot I put up is the nearest I have managed to anything really decent with the Siggy but it still would have been so much better with a 300/2.8!Attachments
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hosesbroadbill
Well-known member
It s a combination of all those things. I have always said that these 'cheap' third party zooms are not in the same league as a big canon white prime and nothing has changed my mind on that. BTW that Plover shot was taken with a 1.4x tc on. I had a used Canon 300/2.8 IS mkI which still can be picked up for around £2500 so not a lot more than something like the Canon 100-400 MKII. The 300/2.8 is a world beater at 300mm and you lose hardly anything whatsoever at 420mm. It was OK at 600mm but nothing special. The new 300/2.8 + a 2x tc mkIII is a lot better and a very usable and lightweight combo.
If I was up to carrying it I would have no hesitation in buying a Canon 500/4 or better still a 600/4 for bird shooting.
Just to show you how well a lens like the 300/2.8 takes converters here is a shot taken with stacked 1.4x tc and 2x tc to give 840mm - it is also cropped very heavily. I even had AF on my old 7D when stacking because the Camera only saw the 2x tc. BTW you cannot stack the MkIII canon converters (unless you put an extension tube in between them).
p.s. over the past year I have been very close to buying a 300/2.8 MKII on several occasions but I just do not do enough birding to justify it (still may go there though o
I don't like this at all. Think this means my pockets may get lighter. But still I think with good light and a close subject the Sigma performs quite well.
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
Yep, I have always said that providing you can get near then these third party zoom are good value for money.
I have just been pratting around with The Siggy with a 1.4x tc on the 5D3 - no birdies around but I just took this shot from indoors through a double glazed window at the full 840mm and hand held. The car was getting on for 100 yards away and I focused on the number plate. I have not done any processing whatsoever apart from converting the RAW and resizing for the web. Looks pretty reasonable to me. I think I will try the FF Cam next time I go birding.
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hosesbroadbill
Well-known member
that is with the Canon 1.4x ii?
the black fox
Well-known member
Not good enough Roy ,you should be able to read the supplier under the number at that range LOL
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
Yes, that's the only 1.4x tc I have.
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